Committee Experience Program

COR871 V2

ACEM/the College

Means the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.

ACEM member

Means a person admitted as a member of the College pursuant to the provisions of the ACEM Constitution and associated regulations, and, for the purposes of this policy, also includes any other person serving as a College representative.

ACEM trainee

Means trainees enrolled in and undertaking an ACEM training program, including the FACEM Training Program and any of the ACEM approved Associateship Training Programs. For the purposes of this policy, the definition also includes Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) undertaking College requirements for the purpose of attaining eligibility for election to Fellowship of the College.

Participant

Means a member or trainee of the College who successfully has been selected to participate in the Committee Experience Program.

Diversity

For the purposes of this policy, encompasses age, education level, ethnicity and race, gender expression and identity, nationality, national origin, physical and mental ability, political and religious perspectives, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and other human differences.

Good Standing

Means a member or trainee who has no outstanding financial debts to the College and who is not subject to any disciplinary or other investigations by the College and who has met all ACEM Recertification requirements or, a trainee who has no financial debts to the College and has fulfilled all training and assessment requirements applicable to their stage of training.

The governance structure of ACEM comprises a range of entities that support the activities of the College to ensure clinical, professional, and training standards in the provision of quality, evidence-based, patient- centred emergency care. Committees play a vital role in developing standards in emergency medicine, leading, and supporting health system advocacy, and enhancing the ability of the organisation to meet the needs of members, and health systems across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

ACEM is committed to fostering and promoting the principles of diversity and inclusion amongst its members and trainees. The ACEM Committee Experience Program was established in 2024, as part of the implementation of the College’s Governance and Leadership Inclusion Action Plan.

The purpose of the Committee Experience Program is to afford members and trainees with an opportunity to attend meetings of select College committees to provide direct exposure to activities and key decision- making processes of the College.

3.1 Overview

• The Program operates annually through an application process.
• Participants may attend up to one (1) committee meeting per calendar year.
• Each meeting of the participating committees will have a maximum of one (1) participant position available.
• Participants are not committee members and do not have voting rights.
• Participants will not be assessed as having an advantage in future Committee appointments, should they apply as part of any future Expressions of Interest.

3.2 Responsibilities of committee participant

• Participants are accountable to the Chair and the committee.
• Participants must adhere to relevant College policies, including the ACEM Code of Conduct and Entities Policy.
• Participants must sign and return a declaration of receipt of information, conflict of interest declaration, and confidentiality and intellectual property agreement.
• Committee meetings may be recorded. By participating in the Program, participants are consenting to be recorded as applicable.

3.3 Committee participation

• Meeting dates for participating committees will be provided during the application process.
• Committee meeting dates may change throughout the year. Changes will be reflected on the application form and relevant participants will be notified
• Should a participant’s availability or a scheduled meeting date change, there may be the opportunity to attend a meeting of a different committee. This will be discussed with the participant and the Membership and Culture Unit.
• Participants are encouraged to attend virtually. If attending in-person, the participant will need to cover their own travel expenses.
• At the discretion of the Committee Chair, participants may be asked to leave the meeting if sensitive or confidential information is being discussed.
• Whenever possible, participants will be allocated one of three preferred committees.
• Meeting attendance will contribute to CPD requirements.

3.4 Participating ACEM entities  

From 2025, the following ACEM entities will participate in the Committee Experience Program:

• Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPDC)
• Education Strategy and Engagement Committee (ESEC)
• Emergency Medicine Associateship Training Program Committee (EMATPC)
• Emergency Medicine Standards Advisory Committee (EMSAC)
• Health System Reform Advisory Committee (HSRAC)
• Inclusion Committee (IC)
• Indigenous Health Committee (IHC)
• Public Health and Disaster Advisory Committee (PHDAC)
• Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee (QPSAC)
• Regional, Rural and Remote Advisory Committee RRRAC)
• Research Advisory Committee (RAC)
• Workforce Committee (WC)

4. Application process

To be eligible to participate in the Committee Experience Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be an individual ACEM member or trainee, of Good Standing;
• Completion of the ACEM Core Values Module;
• Have never been a member of any ACEM entity
• Provide a written statement (maximum 500 words) outlining an interest in ACEM activities and the specific committee(s) to which the application relates.
• Review the College associated documents, and submit the following documents to the College as part of the application process:
  • Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement
  • Declaration of Conflict of Interest
  • Declaration of Receipt of Information
• The Indigenous Health Committee participants identify culturally as Māori or Indigenous.
• To apply to participate in the Committee Experience Program, applicants must complete the prescribed online Expressions of Interest Application Form and may select up to three (3) committee preferences.

Note: An individual who has previously applied for a member position on a participating ACEM committee (i.e., as part of an Expression of Interest or nomination process) but who was not appointed to the committee in question is not precluded from applying to participate in the Committee Experience Program.

Expressions of interest that reflect the diversity of the ACEM membership are encouraged. Where applicable, appointments will be made with consideration given to the objective of ensuring this diversity is reflected in the membership of the entity.

Applicants who meet all eligibility criteria will be approved as a participant of the Committee Experience Program. If the Program is oversubscribed, selection will be based on the participant statements provided.

If an applicant’s first-choice committee is oversubscribed, they will be allocated to their second or third preference.

Applicants who are not offered a place in the current year’s Program must submit a new application to be considered for the following year.

Following review of applications, the following procedure will apply:

• Successful applicants will be notified via email of the outcome of their application, including the committee and associated committee meeting they are invited to attend.
• Successful applicants will be given one calendar month to accept the offer to participate in the Committee Experience Program.
• Applicants who are unable to attend the scheduled committee meeting or fail to notify the College of their acceptance within the given timeframe, will forfeit their place in the Program. In such instances, the position will be offered to another applicant.
• If a meeting date changes due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control they will have the opportunity to withdraw and be considered for a different committee that aligns with their availability.
• Participants will be assigned an ACEM staff contact, who will liaise with them regarding meeting attendance.
• Participants will be connected via email with the relevant Committee Chair or a committee member nominated by the Chair before the meeting to discuss any enquiries they may have.
• Participants are required to provide written feedback to the Memberships and Culture Unit and the relevant Committee(s) Chair, by means of a short open-ended questionnaire after attendance of the meeting.

7. Withdrawal

Participants may withdraw from the scheme at any time by notifying the College in writing.

• ACEM Code of Conduct (COR235)
• ACEM Core Values
• Conflict of Interest Policy (COR139)
• Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement
• Declaration of Conflict of Interest
• Declaration of Receipt of Information
• Guidelines for Travel and College Expenditure
• Intellectual Property Policy
• Member/Staff Relations Policy
• Policy on College Entities (COR334)
• Privacy Policy